This week I looked over the records of the folks who have been through KCT training and coaching since the beginning of the year, to see how long it is currently taking them to achieve their full funding.  I could hardly believe what I saw!

We’ve known for some time that it took our trainees an average of about six months to reach their full funding.  We’ve also noticed that as our coaches gain experience in helping people over the obstacles, it takes less and less time.

What left me awestruck is how much less time it is taking.  The 22 people who reached 100%, who began their coaching in January or later and have averaged four months to reach their full funding.  Most have done it in a matter of weeks.

A few examples:

• Caroline came with 4% of her monthly support in February and reached 100% in eight weeks.
• Jacob came with 47% and was fully funded in four weeks.
• Dr Jonathan started with 22% and finished in six weeks.
• Louise started with 68% and achieved 100% in three weeks.
• Cathy began in February with 35% and ended with 100% in three months.

Those results started me on a quest to identify what has made the difference.

The initial training hasn’t changed significantly.  We have observed for some time that about 75% of the ministry visits our trainees conduct result in monthly support.  The biggest delaying factor is that people are afraid to pick up the phone and make appointments.  The only human variable I see to explain these improved results is the growing skill of the KCT coaches at keeping people on track, making the appointments and doing the ministry visits.

One missionary commented, “The one thing I fear more than making phone calls is facing my coach when I haven’t done it.”

Cathy (the last example above) , writes. . .

The Training was very motivating.  It helped me refocus and gain confidence in sharing my ministry with prospective partners.  It was really informative to listen to the others in my course as they developed their stories and as I developed mine.  The feedback was tremendous–the instructor was willing to spend the extra time necessary to help me develop my presentation into captivating, effective stories.

As I went through the training, I had no idea of how many people God was putting into my path to join with me in my ministry, although I thought I did.  It helped open my eyes and give me the boldness to pray about sharing with those people.  The number of positive responses to my presentation was staggering.

The coaching was crucial.  I am a very motivated person, however I found myself working harder because of my weekly coaching meetings.  It was nice to have someone help me put together a reasonable goal for each week, then gently talk and encourage me through the process.  Gabi was fabulous and had answers for all of my detailed questions.  She understood my initial fears and frustrations, then helped me work through them so I had no more fear or issues blocking my progress.

When they said in the class that people end up enjoying partnership development, I didn’t believe it.  But now I understand why that is, and that God has used my partnership development to bless those who allowed me to share my ministry with them.

I strongly encourage anyone who needs to raise their own support to take this training and coaching.  Nothing should be of higher importance to a missionary than to be 100% funded.  This training and coaching equipped me in the most efficient way to be motivated and to reach that 100% goal with more joy and confidence than anything I had previously tried on my own.  The amount of relief I have because I don’t have to worry each month about being fully funded is more than I can even describe.  It is truly freeing and allows me to spend more time in ministry now.  I cannot emphasize enough how valuable this class is.  Thank you Kingdom Come Training.

Moreover Cathy, thank you! You represent our greatest joy and blessing.

– Jerry Long

Wycliffe Bible Translators

We had served with Wycliffe since 1976.  Then, around 2006 we noticed our support was dwindling. Our constituency was getting older and economic conditions didn’t help either. We let it slide for a couple of more years because we dreaded the idea of raising support. Doing nothing though, resulted in nothing. Through a friend we heard about KCT. We figured we had absolutely nothing to lose. We already knew some of the principles but had forgotten how powerful the combination of meeting individually with people and telling our personal stories could be. In a 7-week period we made dozens of presentations and the fear and “pain” of doing PD had all but vanished. We began to see partnership development not as something to be dreaded but as an opportunity to be embraced, for people to be blessed by getting involved in what God was doing. Not only did our minds change but so did our support level. In those 7 short weeks, we saw our support level come up the extra 30% we needed. The great attitude the coaches have is one of the best parts of KCT’s training. We’ve gone from being skeptics to unabashed and enthusiastic promoters of KCT’s effective and Biblical approach. The numbers speak for themselves.

Dr. Jim and Beth Blessman

President and Founder of Blessman Ministries

“With the help of Kingdom Come training we were able to raise our budget for the year in just three short months. The training has proven to be a great asset in the way we present our ministry, and we are thankful for the financial accountability it provided. We have greatly benefitted from this program and would recommend Kingdom Come Training to anyone looking to carry out the task God has called you to do.”

Evangelical Friends Mission
My time with Kingdom Come Training has been so helpful. It was so amazing to watch the knowledge and wisdom I acquired during the 3 week course serve so well during my time of fundraising. One thing I learned was that raising support and sharing my life with people was ministry. That was hard for me to believe! But as I began meeting with people and telling my story I could not believe how true it was. Time and time again the Lord used my life and my calling to speak into others lives. Also, Coaching was wonderful. I loved getting to build a relationship with Kim. She cared about me and she was passionate about helping me reach my goal. She had practical advice and above all she was such a great source of accountability. Thanks KCT.

Assemblies of God World Missions
Botswana, Southern Africa
Kingdom Come Training has made the biblical truth “God equips those He calls” a reality in our lives. Through the 3 week training and subsequent coaching/accountability we are reaching our goal to be on the field by Fall 09. Prior to working with KCT we knew how to generally share the missions call on our lives which resulted in nice nods and affirmations. Now we know how to share our call specifically and in a compelling manner that leads us to the point of commitment with each potential partner. We still get the nods and affirmations but 99% of the time it also includes a new monthly donor! Through the weekly coaching we are growing in our skills and confidence which leads to more appointments and commitments. Kingdom Come Training has been a God-send equipping us with the practical tools we need to fulfill the call on our lives.

Wycliffe Bible Translators
The skills we’ve gained through Kingdom Come Training have been incredibly valuable. The small investment of training time has helped us to organize and present our ministry vision effectively. The ongoing coaching relationship has helped us to refine our skills and stay accountable as we move quickly to our goal. As a result we’ve seen God add over 30 new recurring financial partners to our team, in four months.

SEND International

I feel like I’ve been raising support my whole life! After a long time of being unsuccessful I realized I needed to start asking people one on one to join in partnership with the ministry God called our family to. Success starting coming but it was still slow. When I found out about Kingdom Come Training, I knew it was something I needed. The training gave me the skills and stories I needed to share the vision more effectively. Now I am being coached by Lady Carol and she pushes me even further. She has an amazing ability to see where I am on target and where I need to improve. She has given me more confidence when I talk to people and much more excitement about giving people the opportunity to join this great ministry!

Associate Director, People International

Having personally participated in Jerry Long’s Kingdom Come Training course I can give this my full backing. In fact, we are implementing this training as a key part of seeing our people step into their God given ministry with a strong support team behind them. Jerry focuses on sharpening a persons strengths and developing personal skills where they are lacking. The group setting gives opportunity for practical perspective on their communication and others. The scriptural truths behind this training produce clear communication principles and integrity in the practice of mobilizing personal supporters. I highly recommend this effective approach to seeing the Great Commission carried out in our day.

Executive Director, Personnel, Cadence International
In our mission’s quest to provide relevant, effective, biblical training for our missionaries on Partnership Development, we’ve chosen Kingdom Come Training as the first step for equipping them in this area. KCT’s flexibility to accommodate our staff’s availability via videoconference classes, and KCT’s personalized meeting strategy to help missionaries accomplish their support goals are just what we were looking for. I highly recommend Jerry Long and KCT.

President and CEO of Wycliffe Associates , U.S.

Jerry has been training speakers for hundreds of Wycliffe Associates’ annual events for twenty years. We consider him an essential part of our event team. His approach is consistently effective in improving the communications of speakers regar dless of their experience level. His experience and style maximize the impact of his coaching.
I highly recommend Jerry as a strong partner for your organization to help them raise their support effectively.